


clouded glass

by Idestroyedtheworldoops



Category: Within the Wires (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Three Sisters Theory, kind of an amy character study, this is not relationship goals kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idestroyedtheworldoops/pseuds/Idestroyedtheworldoops
Summary: Amy is whisked off on a trip by one of her many employers.
Relationships: Amy Castillo/Vishwathi Ramadoss
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	clouded glass

"This seems excessive."

Vishwathi hangs her hat up by the door before sweeping over to where Amy sits, typing. She arches a perfect brow. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean?"

Amy closes her eyes to keep herself from rolling them. She breathes in through her nose, out through her mouth, and then brandishes the black cassette tape she's just finished with. "This. He's rambling like a madman at me, you know. Don't you think if they had the papers, either of them, they would have used them to clear his name by now?"

Vishwathi looks up to the side and taps two fingers onto her chin. "Well. Just because they don't know where the papers are, doesn't mean they aren't somewhere on their property. They have to be somewhere, don't they?"

"They don't. Any natural disaster can happen upon a few pieces of paper. Maybe their cat peed on them and they threw them away long before any of us started looking," Amy says.

Vishwathi giggles. "Well, that would be convenient, wouldn't it. But I'm afraid unless that can be proven, I'm going to have to keep looking."

Amy sighs. "Fine. Look. But this," she indicates the tape again, "Isn't searching, it's intimidation. Really, cutting out the breasts of Vivienne's dresses? How does that help you look, Secretary Ramadoss? Did you think they were sewn into the seams?" 

To Amy's surprise, Vishwathi's face lights up. She looks terribly excited all of a sudden. Her face splits into a wide grin, and she stares silently at Amy for a long moment before she speaks again.

"Oh, Amanda. Have you met Vivienne Witten?"

Amy blinks. "Once or twice? When she's come up to the office."

She seemed fine. Michael makes it sound like she hung the moon in the sky, but she supposes that just happens when you're in love. Vivienne might say the same about him.

Amy likes the both of them. Really, she does. Michael and Amy are very similar. They both want what's right for humanity. They both want to see the New Society succeed. Vishwathi just wants to see herself succeed. Karen, too. 

But, unfortunately, the latter two are far more powerful and far more connected, so Amy has to play her cards at everybody's tables for now. 

"Amanda."

Amy raises an eyebrow at Vishwathi.

"Come to Cornwall with me this month."

Amy stares blankly at her beaming face. "I don't want to go to Former England with you. I'm busy." 

"Oh, but you must." Vishwathi steps behind her, squeezes her shoulders and hugs her to her chest through her chair. "I've made a new friend there, and I think it'd do you good to meet her." 

In this position, pressed up against her, she can feel Vishwathi's heartbeat in the back of her throat. She sighs again. "Fine."

Vishwathi makes a pleased sound and kisses Amy on the cheek.

It is hours later, when Amy is alone in her apartment, that she realizes Vishwathi flawlessly derailed their topic of conversation, and it is one of the few times she is silently impressed.

\---

Nine days later, Amy is walking through the doorway of a little cottage by the sea, side-by-side with Vishwathi. The house belongs to Claudia Atieno, an up and coming artist that Amy recalls Vivienne is a fan of. Doesn't explain the daunting look on her face from their last conversation, but it's something. 

They are not the only ones at the house. There is a party going on, though there doesn't seem to be an occasion. They both take flutes of champagne and Vishwathi guides Amy through the crowded rooms, socializing like a champ while Amy tries not to come off as awkward and bored as she is. She is trying to pick out their host from the crowds when she sees a familiar face. 

Vishwathi begins leading her in that direction without a word, and it occurs to Amy she should think of a reason to explain why she's on the arm of public-enemy-number-one-Vishwathi-Ramadoss to the, from all she's heard, very fiery Vivienne Witten. Because her hair is braided and she's wearing glasses but Amy remembers her face, and this is very certainly-

"Claudia!"

Vishwathi air kisses the woman, who accepts it with a smile but does not return the gesture. 

"It's so good to see you. This is Amanda Castillo, by the way, I'm sure you haven't met."

The woman turns her attention to Amy, and Amy realizes two things. One, that this woman is drinking champagne, which one should not do while pregnant. And two, that this woman is not heavily pregnant, like Vivienne Witten should be. Like Vivienne Witten is. She's-

"You look like you're going to be sick," The woman, Claudia Atieno, says, studying Amy's face. 

Vishwathi laughs, and starts pulling Amy away. "Oh, Amanda, is your drink not sitting well with you? Come, let's sit down. Talk to you later this evening, Claudia, darling," she says. Amy hasn't touched her drink.

They turn a corner and Vishwathi pulls her into the bathroom. They stand in the relative silence, the ambient chatter of the party muffled by the door. 

"That was…" Amy trails off.

"Identical twins. Quite confounding for our nubile society, hm?"

Amy stares at the bathroom's yellow wallpaper. "Vivienne collects Claudia Atienos."

Vishwathi hums. "She does. You know, when I was hanging around Claudia the other month, I caught her painting the most curious little thing. A cat. A content little orange cat that I found very familiar. I asked her, and she said she'd never owned a cat. Hated the things, even. Strangely defensive, don't you-"

Amy's glass shatters on the bathroom floor. 

When she finally looks over, Vishwathi's heart-shaped face looks satisfied, framed by her dark hair and her fucking hat. "I do love to see when a fire lights under you, Amanda."

"Is this a game to you?" Amy asks. "Do you actually care about anything, Vishwathi, or are you just in this for kicks? If they're in contact, you need to do something about it. You're a government official. What else are you here for if not to stop sick-" A realization hits Amy, and she feels bile rising in her throat. "Oh dear god, she's pregnant, what if she tries to- to-" 

To join that revolting cult bubbling up in Former France? Michael had brought it up, but he hadn't been serious. He sees the inherent backwards thinking of those people. He wasn't serious. But if he'd brought it up to Vivienne?

Vishwathi puts her hand on Amy's arm. "Amanda, dear, I know. You know I'm doing my best to get the legislation I've talked to you about put through and make these officially criminal actions, but we're not quite there yet. And I hate to see that I've upset you, but I hope you understand now why keeping Mrs. Witten on her toes is necessary. It is for the very reason you've just arrived at."

Amy closes her eyes and breathes. In. Out. 

"Do whatever you want. Whatever you need to. I won't bring it up again," Amy says.

Vishwathi smiles wider and squeezes Amy's arm. "Don't worry yourself. I have eyes on her. Her baby will grow up to be a well-adjusted citizen of the New Society, and by the time she's grown, animal urges like these ones will be phased out, one way or another." 

Amy nods. She thinks of Vivienne's 'fire' that she remembered a few moments ago. Just more evidence that violence correlates with familial instincts. More evidence to show why she needs to be here with Vishwathi, or with Karen, or with Michael, making all their whims into functional reality. Because one day she'll need them to help her make something a reality, but it won't be a whim. It will be the thing that fixes humanity.

**Author's Note:**

> Vishwathi is referring to the Family Dissolution Act of 1955. This fic takes place in 1954. Would Claudia already live in Cornwall? Who knows. Anyways, happy season 5 everyone! Wrote this about my favorite evil ladies in celebration of the New Society's persistence into the 21st century :)


End file.
